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"The problem is that the president's instincts on these issues are often good, but he is often surrounded by people from the swamp of foreign policy," said Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.). | Win McNamee / Getty Images
The White House statement that defended Saudi Arabia during the assassination of dissident Jamal Khashoggi was attributed to President Donald Trump. But all that Rand Paul heard when he read it was John Bolton.
"It sounded like Bolton's voice for me," Paul said in an interview Tuesday with the president's hawk security advisor. "The problem is that the president's instincts about it are very often good, but he is often surrounded by people from the swamp of foreign policy. And Bolton is the king of the swamp.
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The Kentucky Republican does not break much with Trump lately, but the president's statement supporting US support for Saudi Arabia and his crown prince, Mohammad bin Salman, was too much for one of the president's closest allies to Congress. Paul said he would redouble efforts to block arms sales to Saudi Arabia, which Trump has boasted repeatedly in his statement, raising doubts about the fact that bin Salman is actually involved in Khashoggi's assassination.
So, although Trump described Saudi Arabia's plans to buy US $ 110 billion worth of weapons, he said the president should review his approach to relations between the country and Saudi Arabia. He said it was not a punishment to stop arms sales, but an assertion that the United States should not "reward" Saudi Arabia for the "slaughter of a dissident".
And Paul has challenged Trump's confidence that Iran is worse than Saudi Arabia. The United States should therefore be on its side. Paul argues that the United States has repeatedly made mistakes in playing their favorites in the Middle East, while they should not try to make such moral decisions.
"The president's statement gave the impression that he was basically saying:" Saudi Arabia is bad but Iran is worse. "The lesser of two evils does not deserve our weapons," said Paul. "I spoke to him last week and I reiterated my position on this, we should not sell them weapons, nor consider the sale of weapons as a sale of programs. ;employment."
"We are too blind to our fear and hatred against Iran that we are doing stupid things," he added.
Paul said that his staff searched the Congress record every day, seeking a notice of arms sales to Saudi Arabia that would prevent him from blocking it. He felt he would have a majority of senators in both parties, although he does not know if he could get a vetoed majority to stop sales and override the president.
But he is convinced that there will be another referendum in the Senate and he remains optimistic about his prospects.
"At some point, all this will have to be announced, there is no way out without a vote," said Paul.
On Tuesday, just after Trump's declaration, when Congress was over and Washington was starting to clear Thanksgiving, Paul's supporters were mostly Democrats. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (DN.H.) said Trump's avoidance of blaming Bin Salman is a "blot on our democracy" and Senator Tim Kaine (D-Va.) Said the President had sided with a "murderous regime against US patriotic intelligence officials". "
Paul would never say so despite their sharp disagreement. He added that, despite the disagreement with the president on a key decision on foreign policy, he does not expect his relationship with Trump to change.
"I do not think he takes things personally to tell you the truth unless they are personal. I have been a big supporter of the president if there are partisan attacks, "said Paul. "On the issues, we had a lot of disagreements … I do not think it will bother him at all."
